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This could be big – Apple just sued HTC for patent infringement on 20 different patents related to the iPhone’s User Interface. I’m guessing the bulk of those accusations are regarding HTC Sense elements and specific functionality like, perhaps… pinch-to-zoom.
Here is the press release from Apple:
Apple Sues HTC for Patent Infringement
CUPERTINO, California—March 2, 2010—Apple® today filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
Apple reinvented the mobile phone in 2007 with its revolutionary iPhone®, and did it again in 2008 with its pioneering App Store, which now offers more than 150,000 mobile applications in over 90 countries. Over 40 million iPhones have been sold worldwide.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
The whole patent world is a mess in general with companies often being granted ownership of inventions that are so blatantly logical most people wouldn’t think to patent them in the first place. Please good sirs, allow me to patent the use of my pointer finger to point? Sure – why not – patent granted!
But with pinch-to-zoom being a HUGE topic of debate you have to wonder what 20 items are being included. HTC didn’t launch a multi-touch Android Phone (or phone in general) until well after Palm launched their WebOS with not only pinch-to-zoom but iTunes syncing. Why hasn’t Apple sued them?
This is a story whose plot will certainly thicken, but unfortunately it isn’t like to play out in the public domain. I am, however, dying to hear the details and the results. Anyone want to make some guesses as to what the heck is going on and where it will all end up?
Silly me… of course you do. Go for it. (Play nice)
if anyone finds out these 20… list them here!
DOWN WITH APPLE!
@covert Bet one of them is multi-touch.
someone’s on the i-rag.
here is some
http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/01/16/apples-iphone-is-it-really-well-protected-by-patents/
This kind of shit makes me want to burn down an apple store. Let me guess one of the 20 is “A candy bar form factor phone”. Apple is so full of crap.
1. Magnifying glass
2. copy/paste popup
3. GO TO HELL APPLE.
Apple is not only screwing their fanboys and slowing down the release of new technology just to make more money now they bully others who do better stuff than they do.
I ain’t got any sympathies for Apple left.
I would certainly like to know what 20 things are being questioned. It’s obvious that pinch-to-zoom is one of the main ones. in the article it states that architecture was infringed as well. Anyone have any thoughts on this???
Keep us posted Rob ;-)
I want so see how multi-touch stands up since MS seems to have had it first and displayed it on their Surface computer. I don’t think the iPhone was out by then. I don’t know if Apple had a patent for it already either. So are they going to sue CNN for their magic map too? I bet its some ridiculous patent like “multi-touch on a portable device” like that isn’t obvious.
apple … feeling the heat.
4. finger gesture (holding one up now apple)
Apple didn’t invent multi touch, Microsoft did…
Why am I not surprised?
Apple isnt suing Palm because they are not a threat. So, will they be suing Google next since pinch to zoom is now part of Android 2.1?
Apple is very sensitive about mobile stuff because it is the only area they are doing well. They never have and never will get above 10% market on desktop computers; so Iphone and IPOds (and associated subscriptions) are literally their life blood. Stevie sees HTC getting too much of that action and it scares him.
the multi touch was first invented by Tom Cruise in 2002’s blockbuster movie the minority report.
take a bite out of apple cruise.
Methinks these patents are from Apple’s Big Chest Of Vague Patents Never Used And Never To Be Used In Any Actual Product. Someone, please, patent holographic interface before Apple does!
Also, this must be a red herring in order to avoid the fallout of Foxconn’s recently revealed not exactly ethical operations.
It’s a little too late if you ask me. Just about all laptops offer “pinch to zoom” in their touchpads. How about all the new HP Multimedia touch screen computers with “pinch to zoom”. They waited too long, and you can’t pick on one manufacturer and not the others.
Apple is worried. If Pinch-to-Zoom can exist on android devices, then it will not allow for as many sales of their iPad. This seems like a ridiculous lawsuit, but Its meant to slow down the release of HTC (and other competing) products in the short term.
20 patents? The iPhone doesn’t even have that many features.
Apple won’t sue Palm because the iPhone infringes on numerous patents that Palm has owned far before Apple even thought of making a cellular phone.
It’s very hypocritical of Apple to go after HTC when they themselves ‘infringe’ on patents.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens…
And, from what I’ve read, APPLE HAS NO PATENT ON MULTITOUCH!
OMG I can’t believe they are so petty.
They know Android will whoop their ass.
Fortunately Apple doesn’t have a patent on sliced bread.
Steve’s rant against Android during his company meeting is even more funny now. Guess he really is worried about android. So is he going after Google for the android OS as well?
It is true we are seeing HTC making their phones look a lot like the iphone.
Too bad Ford didn’t patent a motor vehicle with 4 wheels. They could sue every car manufacturer in the world.
Has Apple patented the employment of Children in their factories in China too?
Apple isn’t sueing Palm because Palm would sue them back. Apparently HTC didn’t invest as much in patent applications as Apple and Palm did so now HTC is an easy target for Apple.
I’m sorry but f apple. I think that car makers should sue each other for building cars similar I.E. wheels and tires and windshield’s. Apple shouldn’t be allowed to patent multi-touch. Its only been since HTC became successful that apple is going after them. Apple feels threatened and so they play the a hole card. If this goes bad for HTC I think we android owners should form a protest group. Apple is going to kill innovative phones and leave us all in the dark ages. The nexus is far superior in every way to an I phone. I hope HTC comes out on top. Obama you want American to increase our tech than allow HTC to continue building cutting edge products.
LATEST NEWSBREAK:
Johnny Appleseed, the man thought to have planted every Apple tree in the U.S.A. is sueing Steve Jobs for not asking permission to name his company after his fruit.
Well I can safely say, Steve Jobs is a fruit.
In apple’s world you pinch and zoom then move around the screen just to read the text. In HTC’s world you pinch and zoom and watch as text is automatically reformatted. I know which is the better web experience.
Its time people wake up to Steve Jobs, he wants to kill competition and all devices take the good points from others and add their own vision of it. If every company patented everything they did then there wouldn’t be an iphone as the combination of computer and phone would have been already patented, also apps stores have been around for years on the net maybe someone should have patented that aswell.
The ‘331 Patent, entitled “Time-Based, Non-Constant Translation Of User Interface Objects Between States,” was duly and legally issued on April 22, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The ‘949 Patent, entitled “Touch Screen Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Determining Commands By Applying Heuristics,” was duly and legally issued on January 20, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘949 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit B.
The ‘849 Patent, entitled “Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image,” was duly and legally issued on February 2, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘849 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit C.
The ‘381 Patent, entitled “List Scrolling And Document Translation, Scaling, And Rotation On A Touch-Screen Display,” was duly and legally issued on December 23, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘381 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit D.
The ‘726 Patent, entitled “System And Method For Managing Power Conditions Within A Digital Camera Device,” was duly and legally issued on July 6, 1999 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘726 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit E.
The ‘076 Patent, entitled “Automated Response To And Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices,” was duly and legally issued on December 15, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘076 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit F.
The ‘105 Patent, entitled “GMSK Signal Processors For Improved Communications Capacity And Quality,” was duly and legally issued on December 8, 1998 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘105 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit G.
The ‘453 Patent, entitled “Conserving Power By Reducing Voltage Supplied To An Instruction-Processing Portion Of A Processor,” was duly and legally issued on June 3, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘453 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit H.
The ‘599 Patent, entitled “Object-Oriented Graphic System,” was duly and legally issued on October 3, 1995 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘599 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit I.
The ‘354 Patent, entitled “Object-Oriented Event Notification System With Listener Registration Of Both Interests And Methods,” was duly and legally issued on July 23, 2002 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘354 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit J.
I hope Apple faces a huge PR nightmare and backlash from consumers from this.
I do love Europe. Here you can’t patent idiotic stuff like that …. yet!
Well Palm just found a buyer in Google who will then use Palm’s patents to counter sue Apple.
Wow every time i hear apple or Steve jobs i think of what a baby he is for hatin on android for bein to good of a competitor for him and the gay ass iphone. Iphones time is up its already been beatin by many phones android phones to be Excact
any chance this could prevent Verizon from deploying Sense 2.1 upgrade? traded in the droid to get an eris when they promised the upgrade in Q1. can’t believe it but steve jobs screwed me again! first time was when my ipod conveniently broke within the first month the warranty ran out.
Haha one of the patents is multitasking. IPhone can’t even do that! I hope the judge throws this out. Then tells them to stop with the ibranding!
Lol… These patents are funny… I’m gonna patent round buttons and sue Apple for using them on iPhone… Steve Jobs is seriously afraid of android. Palm pre is not so successful, that’s why nobody sued Palm. Seriously, I’m starting to hate this guy. His view on market and way of managing a company starts to really irritate me.
Multi touch is hardware, using it isn’t hard.
This is pathetic, lol.
Engadget has a list as well:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-sues-htc-for-infringing-20-iphone-patents/
.
Included are such highlights as:
.
“Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image”
.
“…Rotation On A Touch-Screen Display”
.
The patent system is completely out of control.
so is he plannin on sueing zune also? this guy needs to chill out or he will loose lots of business and loose partners who make his shit. bunch of bullshit, iphone’s cost too much anyways, and to use good apps you have to pay for them to. thanks for makin us poor steve. jackass
@anthony
can you point me to the multitasking pantent? i want to buzz it but not without proof :)
If you look at the specs for the Desire, it says “Pinch to Zoom” capabilities.
http://www.htc.com/www/product/desire/specification.html
this 100% bogus and 100% a strategic move to try to delay the release of the next level snapdragon based HTC phones (including the SuperSonic) F YOU APPLE… you are ruining the progression of technology for mankind. F your lawyers too.
I believe they will use the suit to apply for an injunction against HTC phones, and by implication a large percentage of Android phones, pending the hearing of the suit, to drag this out, which leads me to believe that the coming iPhone 4 won’t have anything very new/special, and they know it. They are deathly afraid of the latest Android phones, esp N1 and Desire, and need more time to catch up. They also hope to scare other Android phone makers to hold off pending the resolution of the suit.
“Time-Based, Non-Constant Translation Of User Interface Objects Between States”
“Touch Screen Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Determining Commands By Applying Heuristics”
“Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image”
“List Scrolling And Document Translation, Scaling, And Rotation On A Touch-Screen Display”
“System And Method For Managing Power Conditions Within A Digital Camera Device”
“Automated Response To Add Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices”
“GMSK Signal Processors For Improved Communications Capacity And Quality”
“Conserving Power By Reducing Voltage Supplied To An Instruction-Processing Portion Of A Processor”
“Object-Oriented Graphic System”
“Object-Oriented Event Notification System With Listener Registration Of Both Interests And Methods”
You know the old addage, “If you can’t beat them, abuse the IP patent system and become a patent troll and try to sue your competitors for what is ‘rightfully’ yours.”
Ah yes, I remember it well.
Microsoft should patent the use of a monitor to display a GUI for performing various tasks using a motherboard, hard drive, processor, RAM, electricity, a mouse, and a keyboard.
“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” – Steve Jobs
wait…where’s Apple’s patent for use of a finger on a touchscreen display to peform an action.
Surprised it wasn’t one listed.
I hate Apple.
This solidifies the fact that I will NEVER own an Apple product for as long as I live. F U JOBS! I hope this blows up in your retarded face.
Well, this certainly ensures that I will never again, under any circumstance purchase an apple product or willingly support any company that advertises for or with apple.
hmmm… so lets say that Apple bring out an iphone that can multi-task, does that mean that HTC will be able to sue Apple??
miaow!!!
“The ‘599 Patent, entitled “Object-Oriented Graphic System,” was duly and legally issued on October 3, 1995 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the ‘599 Patent is attached hereto as Exhibit I.”
sounds like they need to sue Microsoft as well.
Its ridiculous that Apple has been able to patent hand gestures which by all accounts are the creation of our creator and human evolution, and stem from the natural ergonomics of the human anatomy. Last time, I checked, humans have been pinching since the dawn of existence. Its like Ford patenting the use of the steering wheel so no other automakers could use that technology. Or maybe the NY Yankees could patent the curve ball so no other team could use it. There is nothing original about the hand gestures, sure the technology that interpolates those hand gestures is original and inventive but the gesture itself is an innovation of nature.
As much as I like to use my Mac, I despise Apple as a company. It is a company propped up by douchebag lawyers and ego-maniacal greedy corporate rats like Steve Jobs. I hope to holy hell that the anti-trust suits flow like the waters of the Nile against Apple and Jobs and their army of attorney ass-clowns.
F-U, Apple!
@treefq: That exactly what I am confused about. Half of these “patents” are infringed by any software known to man. Object-Oriented Graphics System? Also, how can they sue HTC for software released infringement when they license the software from Google?
Apple might have certain patents that Android phones have started to use. But the plain fact of the matter is that you can get a patent for just about anything now. The biggest and most important issue is the fact that once Apple brings this before the court and if HTC makes a big enough case, Apple will probably lose their patents because they patented something that is too general. Patents like that most likely always get revoked by the government because it prohibits competition in the market.
@tome gave a good preview of what might be covered. Patent law is incredibly rediculous – such as “multitasking” or “switches between functions” being covered by patents. So, I guess we didn’t have a multi-tasking O/S before the iphone came along? The only thing that seems to make credible sense as not being “an obvious evolution” is the multi-touch. Even though that might seem obvious today, at the time multi-touch was a pretty incredible idea. But multi-tasking or task-switching? Touch screen? Come on! I’m just waiting for Microsoft to sue Apple for iPad infringing on Table PC patents.
Competition is supposed to bring the best out of someone.. apparently that “Best” in Apple is to sit in a corner and play dirty. Goodluck HTC!
The DEATH Bells are tolling now in JOBS ears… It is a coordinated attack timed to prevent the release of the SLEW of Android phones which have eaten away at iPhoney’s so called lead in the handset world. Tisk, Tisk… But this is how Apple operates and always has. As long as THEY are the ones in control the world is right, otherwise it’s all wrong. I hope this PATENT bull crapola gets done fast, it’s annoying every single time so called innovation finally gets to the consumer level, it is HELD BACK with litigation. Ridiculous, and I hope as well the Apple suffers for it. Pffft!
Steve Jobs can dare say something like that, while being sued for 10 Nokia patent infringements in every single iPhone? Apple is being sued by so many different companies for legitimate reasons, and they’re trying to go after HTC cuz they somehow managed to patent a gesture? Is Apple serious?!!
“According to the filings, the violated patents include unlocking mechanisms, power conservation efforts, touch-screen scrolling, scaling and rotating capabilities. On top of potential damages payments, Apple is asking for an injunction that would prevent HTC from using, selling and marketing products breaching the patents in the U.S.”
Here is a piece of info STRAIGHT from an HTC higher up at a meeting I went to in NYC yesterday regarding the HD2. Pinch to Zoom is NOT patented. Right from the horses mouth. It has to be some other items.
Two things about this. 1. This seems like a good thing to me for the Android ‘movement’ because it shows us the Apple is scared. The big kid on the block just started taking karate lessons because the little kid on the block has started to grow up and put on some muscle. 2. Pinch zoom and other touch interfaces (if this law suit is about this) to me feels like the natural evolution of multi-touch interfaces. It seems inevitable that once your device and software can tack more tha one input at a time… things like pinch-zoom are just going to happen. It doesn’t seem right to patent the natural evolution of things.
I just saw the list of disputed patents – Apple is going back to the old GUI/Object-oriented OS trough? This old debate goes back to the early Mac/Win days. Hopefully the majority of these patent disputes get overturned. In either case this will be ugly and slow down development and investing until it hashes out.
Here’s an idea! Why not take the Google apps of the iPhone and see how well that goes! The iPhone would be a joke without Good Ol’ Google Maps, GMmail, Google search…. I would love to see Google support HTC, Moto and the other Andoroid handset making companies by pulling their apps off the iPhone! Now that would be a Coup!
Article and Original documents are on this page.
They are naming several Windows mobile and Android devices (Nexus One/HD2..ect)
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-not-going-after-htc-over-multitouch-2010-3
I just figured out I am going to patent ‘A’. Thats right the alphabetical letter A will be my own. Anyone who uses it against my permission will be taken to court.
Apple is doing this because, due to their current business model, they cannot fragment the hardware of their iPhones.
Thus they have SERIOUS competition from other smartphones developers (especially when they have software as good as Android).
I find it interesting Apple is only listing HTC and not any of the other android hardware. Motorola, Samsung, Lg, Sony-Erickson etc.
These patents or just flat out dumb. Ten-to-one Apple’s new motto at Cuppertino is “Litigation instead of Innovation” The only thing innovative about the iPhone is the package. Everything in it has been done before. They just stole a bunch of great ideas and packaged them up in a pretty dress that had mass commercial appeal.
But the real crime here is not Apple’s claims against HTC. It’s the dirty rotten low down filthy business strategy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple’s next move is an injunction against HTC. Slow down the production of high quality Android phones and cut into Google and HTC’s bottom line. It would also give Apple more of their marketshare back since the competition can’t push out fresh devices during the injunction.
And if they DO manage to win against HTC it then sets a precedent giving Apple more weight for attacking Google directly.
Either way, it’s a power-play and has very little to do with protecting their IP.
Well as DD wrote before: In europe these Patents are not valid. You cannot have a patent on gestures. Sure Apple was revolutionizing the market with the iPhone. But if they want to protect their patented technology so much, why wait for one Year before starting to sue? Pinch-to-zoom was introduced by Apple for the iPhone but my question is: isn’t there anyone who invented this here in europe 20 years ago, but was not allowed to patent it ;)
Anyways: they can sue HTC… the only thing that might happen is that they patch all the american phones to not support multitouch anymore… but in Europe Apple will not be able to do that (until now at least – hopefully it stays like that)
apple is not scared of android at all, believe me. i am and HTC hero owner, former iphone user. Android has nothing on apple yet. anyway, if anyone of you complainers had patents for any of this stuff, id bet the farm you too would sue anyone making money off your intellectual property. Legally it is not who invented it, it is who patents it. And patent they did, while Google and htc were sleeping. Thats the big grown up world, apple is a legal, private, meaning non government owned, publicly offered company. They have the right to protect what they own. apple is not here to make a social statement and give away it’s products or intellectual property for some grand social cause. I do not recall Google or HTC offering phones or programming for free. seems HTC sued a dev not too long ago over intellectual property, and they had every right too. i do not get this Apple bashing, far too many people want something for free in this day and age. hate apple all you want but google is just as big a company with lots o money too, and i am pretty sure they are a for profit company too.
Anyone here can start their own company and give away free hardware and software if they so choose, if you think its the “right” thing to do, but don’t damn others if they do not follow your philosophy. This is still a free country right?
Kudos to Apple, they finally decided to put their feet down. I knew there was a reason why all the newer SmartPhones had a similar look and feel. At the time I really couldn’t put a finger on it…but now it’s dawned on me… =) j/p I think when this is all said and done, and the dust have settled, Apple will have created a bigger and better device, and someone else will once again be playing catch up and trying to replicate Apple’s success.
This is proof that Apple is crapping themselves over the market penetration of Android…
Imagine if Steve Jobs had invented the internet….i don’t even want to think about it.
As I said before, When you see a company throwing law suits around like this, they are definitely feeling the heat.
Sure, they can protect their “patents”. This is a big risk for Apple, as they could lose. Just because you have a patent, it doesn’t mean anything until you try to enforce it. If people are paying you license fees, and feel unwilling to protest it, then the patent stands valid. The patent office does make mistakes, and if they did by patenting obvious things, or non-patentable technology just because the reviewer didn’t understand the patent application, the courts will sort this out for sure. Looking forward to this with popcorn! Bring it HTC!
Yeah, Apple is brilliant and all that… it’s just that it would have been really great if they weren’t such huge @$$holes.
@gad
If Jobs had patented the Internet, there would be no Internet.
I officially HATE APPLE. STARTING TODAY I will DELETE Quicktime, iTunes, and sell my iPod.
They should sue Apple for suing way to much! They should have a CAP on how many you can sue in a year!!
They should ALSO SUE APPLE FOR BEING ANTI-COMPETATIVE!
FU APPLE!!!! GO TO HELL!!!!
People, look at this:
http://www.mobilewhack.com/elan-microelectronics-sues-apple/
Lol, apple is sues about this pattent, and now, they are going to try it by others.
The patent: http://www.betanews.com/article/Apple-secures-a-patent-for-a-multitouch-methodology/1233074799
But why was apple (steve especially) waited so long?
1. First Google and Apple were friends
2. Google makes android, but apple sees no danger in it
3. Android becomes popular, and scared apple
4. CEO Eric Schmidt, who was CEO from Google and Apple, leaves Apple
2. Apple switches from Google to Bing on her Iphones and wipe google maps and ejected Google voice app.
3. Steve says that Google is evil.
4. Google got really angry and reveals the nexus and enables multitouch.
5. Apple fights back whit this seus for HTC, but why not Google??, Is Google to strong for you Apple? Is it the HTC Sense?
Conclusion: It’s not HTC, but Android who apple wants to combat.
(sorry for my bad english ;p)
If I were google I would completely cut off apple by blocking search results and closeing all portals I controled to anything related to them and only doing adds for android devises on apples websites like how in the medevil times when they would starve out a city
If I were Google I would DELETE, YOUTUBE, GMAIL, GOOGLE MAPS, AND VOICE SEARCH ON IPHONE!!! SEE HOW FUCKING GOOD YOUR IPHONE IS!! FREAKING LOOSERS!!!
@bill
“This is still a free country right?”
Not if I patent your freedom!
Google does give away there “coding services” in the form of an open sorce OS…
Yes there is Apple bashing, but more so people are just PISS OFF at the PATENT SYSTEM, hand have been long before this.
Everyone does it Google inclueded, but IMO currently most patents/copywrights are DOG ****.
82 angry comments and still growing. Good job Apple!
Multi touch was pioneered by Geoff Han and other researchers at NYU. Check out his company Perceptive Pixel for a 2006 video demo of Multi touch in action.
I agree pinch zoom is just a natural ergonomic consequence of using multi-touch on a small capacitive touch screen one-handed. It has nothing to do with the technology.
Also nice to take a look at:
http://mashable.com/2010/01/20/apple-microsoft-v-google/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-10462203-260.html
WTF seriously they want to force there own stupid limitations on every device out there. The iPhone’s retarded UI can’t even be compared to the simplest HTC device out there .
Apple must feel the heat that HTC & Android are better products, very good indication for comsumers which next SmartPhone they should be purchased.
Since this suit is meant to harm Android/Google thru its partner HTC, Google should immediately stop supporting any and all Apps on the iPhone and and pull any Apps in the iTunes store. This battle has been in the making for a long time now so it should’nt surprise anyone.
Go to war Google and don’t let your partners hang in the wind.
I shall tell my boss that I can no longer multitask at work due to possibly infringing apples patent.
I got something better, what Google should do is buy the patents from Palm that Apple is infringing on.
That did it. its just a corporate ploy to try and stay afloat as Droid based phones flood the market. HTC rocks, always has, always will. What’s at stake is that if apple dosesn’t block htc, they are baked. I could see the healines now: Steve Jobs: baked apple.
In honor of apple doing this may I suggest a worldwide protest to not use a large A on the name apple in any writing and use a capital L. It would symbolize that there is no real intellectual capital, and L is for Lame. appLe
Apple can kiss my right, royal left-arse cheek.
This is a sad day for technical innovation but one which was always going to happen – Apple gets dirty to stifle competition.
Gooooo Google, HTC!
And one more thong Fuck U Apple and u too Jobs.
If I was HTC, I’d approach the other manufacturers like Motorola, Samsung, and LG.. as well as Google and join forces and combine resources to nip this in the bud.. It would benefit them all.
I don’t understand why iPhone-users are so thrilled about Apple suing HTC over these patents. No-one will keep them from using their beloved iPhone and Apple is slowing down innovation for everyone. Apple used mostly existing technologies for the iPhone and put everything into a fancy package, which is truly genius, I must admit, but they’re suing companies over IP that really wasn’t theirs in the first place. They obviously have a hard time keeping up, this is just a weak attempt to buy them some time.
I think it’s time we started a ‘Boycott Apple’ Facebook group. Who has a lot of friends and wants to get it rolling?
STOP ARGUING ABOUT MULTITOUCH
It’s not on the Lawsuit.. Apple knows they can’t sue for it..
Wow – apart from a lot of bigoted Apple hating and uneducated guessing this site doesn’t have much content. A few voices of reason drowned out by a lynch crowd – each with an opinion based on very little knowledge, if at all, but a lot of hate. If these are the Android fans, I don’t want to be part of it.
@ketzal
Already signed up as a fan. Looks like #s are growing fast.
@ohwow
Go suck on your iPhoney till you feel better. You’re cool and you know it. Don’t worry about what the smart people think.
@ew You hit it right on the button – smart people THINK. I see very little THOUGHT here. As a Linux and Android developer, it saddens me to see this behaviour.
Android is an excellent mobile platform, and is quickly becoming a major mobile technology. Google have got a very clear vision of how a mobile device should operate, and this system will undoubtedly go mainstream, while Apple has and always will be niche.
The ramblings on these pages, however are fuelled by nothing but infantile us and them attitudes. Have any of the people here actually read the patents? They are very technical and define very specific ways of implementing a particular idea, not ideas themselves. None of the patients have to do anything with the idea of multitouch, only the particular way Apple chose to implement it. Bu and large, Android does NOT implement multitouch in the same way, but a lot of HTCs designs do.
@ew can you come up with something more than personal abuse to justify YOUR position? … Didn’t think so.
Apple is just being ignorant. If Apple wanted a larger market share, they shouldn’t have limited themselves to only one carrier. But then that would have caused them to loosen the reins. And that is just one thing Apple has never stood for. They have always held their interests tightly. So tightly they almost failed as a company on many occasions. Why is the majority of computers in peoples homes IBM Clones? Apple showed their business model fails in the 80s and 90s. Why they didn’t adapt, I have no clue.
But hey, Apple controls how their phone is used etc. woo. I am needing to upgrade my phone. I wonder if Apple really thinks this will draw me to them?
Apple has always been a closed development system. Apple is feeling the power of open source. Microsoft is next. Ubuntu!!!!!!
@treefq Well put! Open source is the way to go. And, damn I hope Microsoft is next.
I think Jobs has some serious PMS symptoms and he doesn’t have enough ipads for protection. The competition is getting too tough for him.
Apple needs to grow up and get over this school yard playground BS. Hey steve jobs why don’t you just call your mommy and leave the big boys(android) alone. I hope this turns on them in the worse way i mean come on enough is enough first they go after nokia now android. I guess when microsoft releases the windows phone 7 they will be next on apple list, really Steve when are you going to finally get over yourself and realize the world is not yours.
Funny thing about this lawsuit. They are trying to stifle an open source OS. Even if Google said, “ok, we won’t support multitouch in America” and have HTC follow suit, the very smart people at MoDaCo and XDA will just burn a custom ROM that anyone can install onto their rooted device that will have it live.
I would love to see HTC give out the “correct” method of rooting all their devices instead of us having to resort to code bugs. Then release a statement such as: “Anyone who uses this method is at their own peril” So they can sell a phone that someone who doesn’t care can have a standard non-multitouch ROM and give those of us who aren’t afraid of rooting our multitouch.
Gizmodo has the listed 20 patents ‘infringed’ upon on their website. Just to all who’re curious.
For those interested in the actual content rather than childish name calling, Engadget lists all 20 allegedly infringed patents.
IMPORTANTLY, they also include a short analysis of what each patent means, as patent names often bear no relationship and appear to be broader than what is actually patented.
Android is a ripoff of iPhone. Schmidt used his board position inappropriately and was threatented. Give Apple credit no one else had the vision to take a mature mobile phone market and turn it on their ears. Why shouldn’t they be able to protect their inventions?
@gaggle has a point. Protecting intellectual propety is well within the rules of FAIR competition. Apple could prove that their patents are indeed infringed upon by HTC and come out on top (if thats true, HTC is the bad guy and we should not support them), on the other hand Apple could lose and it could all backfire spectacularly. And that is for the courts to decide.
In the meantime, the Android fan mob has proven to be even more rabid than the infamous Apple fanbois.
@ohwow……I don’t know enough about this to say a whole lot but if Steve is afriad of his ipone being passed up…that would make sense seeing the types of Android phones out and on the way. I do like the way you make points I must say but believe me if apple had such a website…u would hear just as bad comments about Google/Android as well…and probably worse. Also look at the comments Steve said in one of his latest meeting about Google…&ust Google it…and then tell me…is he such a decent well spooken rep? And are those who cheer for him…are they such decent well spoken followers?
I have to say as much as i hate apple and the lame arse %$#%* that support them, their patent for a multitouch device does in fact hold water US 7,633,076 B2.. but the Patent is so vague it literally can be adapted to any phone with a touchscreen that can receive multiple commands at once via a multi touch screen. they are going to try and milk every supporting patent possible that relates to this one patent.
At the end of the day it’s business for apple, if people don’t like apple don’t buy it’s products, when the sales goes down apple would change the ways that they do business, all the cry here would not be heard especially a corporation like apple :-).
At the end of the day it’s the court ruling and people choosing to buy apple/htc/android enabled products which actually matters.
Read some of the posts lamenting the infantile anger of the other posts.
Its a bread and butter issue to me and for a lot of people.
Android is an open system where people can download ANY application – including adult apps.
In the longer term there will be a much larger developer base for Android, and a whole new industry will explode from that.
I was also hoping that Android would be the end of the death grip that cellular service providers have on content access and content distribution.
Whahahahaha…!!!!! S.J. & his rotten @pple, what has he gotta sue only HTC? Pick on Google, Samsung, Acer, Motorola, LG, Sony Ericsson & many others who are members of Open Handset Alliance (OHA) if you can. If @pple cannot beat members of OHA, JOIN them! Droid ROCKS!! >(:|
Apple won’t sue Palm because Palm can sue them back. Apple and Palm can infringe on each other’s patents all they like because if either one sues the other, they’d both take a heavy hit. It’s basically like the cold war. Apple is going to sue HTC simply because they can and it’s good for their own business. Almost every company steals patents. It’s just the really big ones manage to have an unspoken “if you don’t sue me, I won’t sue you” kind of agreement. I’m a Mac user and a big fan of Apple. However, I do not agree with this case because innovation is there to be improved on and taken to the next level, not patented and sold to those who can afford it.
“We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
*cough* Xerox *cough*
htc bit apple so hard f*** htc!